1.1) Identify ways that corporations are a sustainability problem, referencing at least four examples from films you watched this semester.
One the main issues with corporations is, as it was stated in “The Corporation”, “it [a corporation] is an artificial moral structure”. They are treated as people by the law yet they don’t have a moral consciousness and only cares about making money. The film called does a great job taking that fact and then creating a strong case around it by evaluating the personality of a corporation since it was said to be a “person”. At the end, an FBI agent makes the verdict that a corporation is, in fact, a psychopath based on evaluated personal traits. If you have a psychopath with a capital often exceeding GDPs of certain countries it, most often, turns into a sustainability problem. Just by looking at recent events such as BP oil spill in The Gulf of Mexico we can see how harmful it can be to the environment. More than 200 million gallons of oil were pumped into The Gulf of Mexico which killed over 8,000 animals (birds, turtles, mammals) in just six months including many that were already on the endangered species list.
Many of the corporations cause direct human harm. Monsanto is known for producing synthetic chemicals that cause birth defects and producing cancer. Over 5,000 birth defects were detected in Vietnam due to Monsanto’s “agent orange”. Today, we have every living system on Earth in decline because of terrifying things that corporations do.
Corporations are also a sustainability problem because of how they affect the freedom of speech. In 1998, Fox News Channel fired two reporters because of their investigative report on truth about Monsanto’s milk. The channel administration did not want the news to go on air because Monsanto was paying for a big portion of all commercials which brought a lot of money to the channel.
Another dysfunctional behavior was demonstrated by IBM during World War II. Despite millions of people being killed, IBM worked with Nazi Germany and provided equipment for counting Jewish prisoners. Such behavior shows that corporations will do anything to make profit even if it means starting or supporting a war.
2.4) Describe how the advertising industry a sustainability problem. Discuss the environmental implications of “communication for commerce,” the effort to create emotional connections between consumers, commodities and companies, and the cultivation of “loyalty beyond reason” (The Persuaders). Also discuss whether sustainability advocates should borrow techniques from the adverting industry to advance their message.
Advertising industry has grown and evolved into a power that helps corporations achieve a certain image for a paycheck. This contributed heavily into America becoming a consumerist society. From an early age, people are being fed with tons of advertisements that create a need to buy absolutely unnecessary things. This creates a wasteful environment where companies make cheap things that get quickly get thrown away upon being purchased; ultimately, adding more pollution to the environment.
The advertising industry now employs people with diverse educational backgrounds, from sales agents to professional psychologist. All of them work on finding out what the consumer really wants and then tailoring their advertisements specifically to those needs. At the end, the product they are selling doesn’t even matter. This type of marketing is so powerful that it literally creates communities around brands like in the case with Saturn cars. From various psychological researches, it is known that humans have a need to belong to a community which was knowingly exploited by Saturn and many other companies. This is a direct example of how “loyalty beyond reason” is created by advertising companies.
Today, many marketing companies engage in pseudo-spiritual marketing to gain consumer trust. Making a brand that is recognizable and is associated with a certain feeling or environment is the ultimate goal. Some companies even go as far as creating a face like in the situation with McDonald’s or even an entire city like Disneyland. Once the loyalty is created, the company is guaranteed to make profit on whichever product they are selling because the consumer will not look at their competitors.
These amazingly strong marketing techniques can certainly be used by environmentalists because it will create a sense of community. With that, people can focus on common goals and be so much stronger. When common beliefs are voiced together the message is a lot stronger and much more influential. Also, with having a strong community support environmental movements will be much more noticeable in the political environment. This can lead to many environmental protection laws being passed.
3. 6) Identify key characteristics of the best environmental media (recognizing that few films or other media are likely to have more than a few of these characteristics). Reference examples from films we’ve seen this semester.
There are certainly many key characteristi
cs that go into a good environmental documentary. Many of the films we watched in class had those and, therefore, were very effective. One of the main characteristics that any environmental documentary should have is emotional appeal. It inspires people to do something with the takeaway message. The film that did very well in this aspect was “Fresh”. It was very uplifting because it showed that a single individual can make a change. Thinking that you can’t fix anything is a common reason many people, including me, oftentimes remain skeptical. When there are so many negative things around you it is very easy to get depressed and fall into a state where you feel there is nothing you can do. “Fresh” showed that every single person can make a change just by changing personal habits. There were also clear suggestions for a course of action which was yet another great characteristic. On the opposite end of the spectrum in this aspect is “The Blind Spot”. This film was a lot more negative and did not have a clear takeaway message. It was basically saying everything is bad, we are all doomed and don’t bother trying to make anything better.
Another key characteristic that many people pay attention to is the amount of factual data and qualification of speakers. Since arguments in environmental documentaries are often made through a series of interviews it is important to have people with certain level of credibility. Many films do bring experts into their films. For example “Do the Math” was featured by Bill McKibben who is well known and well respected environmentalist. He presented a lot of data and since he is certainly an expert it was easy to trust the numbers. The last thing you want in the documentary is a biased opinion from a randomly interviewed person with lack of understanding of the problem at hand.
4. 7) In a 2010 NY Magazine article, Jon Stewart describes his media team as "Soil enrichers. Maybe we can add a little fertilizer to the soil so that real people can come along and grow things.” What does Stewart mean, and how persuaded are you by the metaphor? The NY Magazine article is "America is a Joke"
I believe that Jon Stewart suggests that the goal of The Daily Show is to point out an existing problem by scratching the surface and not by fully diving into a detailed conversation. Part of the reason for this is that the show is not long enough to go into a full-fledged discussion. Another reason is that they actually want it to be that way. This is how they want to be perceived. They don’t attempt to be world experts on the subject matter; however, they are knowledgeable enough to set the playground for the viewers. It goes well with another unique characteristic of the show; they expect the viewers to be familiar with the satirical references they present to fully understand the humor behind each joke. This is why, in my opinion, he says “real people” which refers to knowledgeable citizens. This is considered by many to be the strongest point of The Daily Show. It does not tell its viewers “we know more than you, so follow us!” but rather it motivates them to do their own research and develop a unique opinion. I believe this approach to educate through media is more powerful than the traditional approach that Fox News practices and where viewers are being fed questionable facts.
To better understand the niche of The Daily Show we also need to look back at its history. The show’s unique approach was developed in 1999 when Stewart took over as the host. He observed how politics changed over the course of history that has seen terrorist attacks, two wars and a global economic meltdown. While this was happening, Fox News Channel also lost a lot of its audience because of how quickly internet spread through the masses. All these events turned Fox News and many other news makers from major media dictators into less influential social news media players. As this change occurred, Stewart made himself into a leading critic of the political news. Today, he is considered by many to be the most trusted man. Jon and his team avoid bias and dare to cover and ridicule big political events which make them stand out in the news world.
5. 10) Explain, from your point of view, what the US government should do to advance environmental sustainability. What should the US governmentnot do? Together, your lists should include at least six items. Include concrete examples to illustrate your points.
I would like to see changes occur in how our government treats renewable energy and fossil fuel industries. A 180 degree shift would do just about right. While fossil fuel industry gets ridiculous tax breaks that go up to billions of dollars whereas renewable energy subsidiaries are just ridiculously small[1].
I also believe that the wars our country has been involved in throughout past few decades are foolish and unsustainable. It is hard to tell why each new president takes us back to wars despite all the promises to end them. It is hard to look at broken families that lose their children or parents to war. It doesn’t sit well with me to see trillion dollar military budget approvals and following education budget cuts.
The government should also change certain things about our pre-college education. A special focus should be on developing critical thinking. Critical thinking combines reasoning, evaluation, decision making and problem solving all of which are crucial for an educated society. John Dewey, one of many educational leaders, recognized that a curriculum aimed at building thinking skills would benefit the individual learner, the community and the entire democracy.[2] This is why I believe it is just as important, if not more important, then other curriculum requirements. It can certainly be developed through such classes like Sustainability but it has to be part of the required curriculum due to its importance.
Farming sector also needs some refinements. The fact that we are so dependent on industrial farming which is promoted by the government is wrong. Subsidies are paid to the industrial farmers by the government to supplement their income. Such subsidies are extremely controversial, both because of their complex effects and because of their political origins[3]. This makes it a lot harder to switch to natural farming. However, once it is done it brings more benefit to the community and the farmer as it was shown in “Fresh”. This why I believe the government should be supporting natural farmers instead of industrial farmers.
Another area that is still unsustainable is healthcare. I’m a strong believer that it should be free for anyone. There are many counties in Europe that have implemented public health care successfully and we can certainly learn from them.
6. 11). Describe the key message of The Age of Stupid, providing illustrative examples from the film, then evaluate its strategy and effectiveness as environmental media.
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The Age of Stupid shows potential disastrous future of the planet that we may see because of how unsustainable our energy is. The key message is that we can still collaboratively prevent the ecological disaster if we stop increasingly dangerous practices of oil companies. The film is narrated by a man from the year 2055 who looks over all the unsustainable practices of humankind leading up to ecological disaster. One of the most powerful statements made by him was, “we could have still saved ourselves but we didn’t and faced instinction”. This clearly describes how we live today. Although we see the climate changes and resulting natural disasters like hurricane Katrina we are still not making any significant changes. It basically says that we, as humans, know only how to profit from abusing the nature but not how to protect it. The reason oil is so bad is because it is, essentially, a stored energy from the sunlight and when we burn it to get energy it produces a lot of carbon dioxide which leads to the rising temperature of the planet. In addition, the amount of oil burned each year is equivalent to hundreds of years of sunlight.
The film is very effective and powerful as an environmental media. It is a different approach to making documentaries of such type. It puts things in new perspective and shows the probable future that we tend to not think about. I think it was a genius idea to present it in such fashion because of human psychology and the fact that people like to procrastinate. If there is a rally for a social cause but it doesn’t directly affect you there will be an inclination to avoid or postpone the action. It is a natural human tendency not to look at oneself as part of a bigger picture. This why this film is so great, it shows the world we inhabit in ruins which directly puts everyone into the same picture.
7. 12) Identify ten developments (in education, law, media, etc) that you think would help mobilize greater public awareness of and commitment to environmental sustainability.
First, require critical thinking class credits along with Math and English. This would advance our society to become more literate about decisions we make concerning environmental sustainability issues.
Second, require children to take Environmental Sustainability in roughly 6th grade and teach them systems thinking. This would prevent many faulty decisions we unknowingly make. Young people also have a lot of energy; why not use it for a good cause?
Third, establish laws that regulate carbon dioxide emission for fossil fuel industry. This is just a reasonable thing to do to prevent global warming. While a few people in the fossil fuel industry are keep stuffing their pockets with dirty money our entire planet is suffering.
Fourth, establish adequate laws that effectively support green energy. This could help regular citizens to start switching to more sustainable energy sources. More people would install solar panels and wind turbines for personal use if the government helped to pay the initial costs. This could be done by providing an interest free credit or by some other means.
Fifth, I think environmental activists should learn some of the professional marketing techniques to help further promote sustainability and establish a stronger community. We saw in “The Persuaders” how effective it can be and if a community can be created around a brand why not created a community around an idea.
Sixth, provide a better support to farmers that prefer natural farming over industrial farming. Based on films such as “Fresh” we know that it is better to have a natural environment for animals on the farm.
Seventh, increase corporate taxation to stop the gap between rich and poor from increasing. By doing so, the government will have more money to spend on social causes and provide more to everyone. Although it may sound like a strictly socialist idea but I strongly believe that better quality of life should be affordable to anyone.
Eighth, the department of transportation should start supporting electric cars and not opposing them. As it stands today, we have states like Texas that completely banned the sale of Tesla cars.
Ninth, scientific projects focused on sustainable projects should be better funded by the government. Currently, many PhD students choose to focus on commercial aspects of engineering because they know it will guarantee them a stable job in the field upon graduation. With lack of certainty in the future of green projects not that many people risk pursuing a career of “green” scientist.
Tenth, create a social network like Facebook for environmental education that would help unify people. This would also be very beneficial because of how chaotic internet is.
8. 15) Assess how each of these videos about problems with our food system would likely impact viewers. What message is delivered by each film? What does each accomplish, and not? Which audiences would be most responsive? Transport: Food Miles http://video.pbs.org/video/1362891727/
The message delivered by the film is fairly straightforward. Our food travels great distances before getting to the kitchen. This is caused by the highly inefficient agriculture system we have in place. The film suggests that we should start buying locally grown produce because it is fresher, tastier and more nutritious. Not only that, but it also has a significantly smaller carbon footprint. It is recommended by the film that we get off the western diet and start supporting local farmers. This is also a great way to become a lot healthier. In addition, to become more sustainable we need to establish local self-reliance and stop buying food that is delivered to us from the opposite end of the globe. This film is basically targeting everyday consumers that are used to buying everything in the supermarket and the main goal here is change it. The Pig Picture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukdZWNvDMs
This film exposes the barbaric practices of industrial pig farms. It starts by showing how pigs live on natural farms in which they look much healthier and happier. Factory raised pigs, on the other hand, suffer from various health conditions due to the way they are being treated. Most of them suffer from respiratory diseases because of lack of fresh air. They also suffer from a mental condition described as learned helplessness because of how small their cells are. The film then switches to describe the negative impact that industrial farms bring to surrounding communities. Due to lack of regulation and poor management liquefied feces from those farms are most commonly disposed into local rivers. This causes various health issues because of how much bacteria that waste has. This film is made for consumers that choose to shop in big supermarkets that get their meats from such industrial farms. I think after watching this short film many people will not be able to eat pork for a long time. The key message is not to support such industrial practices. The Meatrix http://www.themeatrix.com/
This film is very similar to “The Pig Picture” but it avoids showing disturbing images of the real industrial hog farm. That said, I think it’s more suited for people that may not be able to handle graphical images from the previous film. This is also a very good educational film because it can be shown in any classroom without a special permission.
9. 22) David Wong, writing in cracked.com, argues that the "monkeysphere" determines the limits of human empathy. While Wong doesn't address sustainability directly, it is easy to imagine the implications. David Orr's call to recognize how our actions implicate the life chances of future generations isn't very practical in the monkeysphere, for example. How can educators respond? What specific strategies could be used to educate beyond the monkeysphere? See http://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html (profanity warning!!) Also see: http://www.thersa.org/events/rsaanimate/animate/rsa-animate-the-empathic-civilisation Idea of the “monkeysphere” is hard to deny completely but it has its limitations. Developing a mature empathy can certainly be something educators can do as it was discussed in “The Empathic Civilization”. Also, idea of the “monkeysphere” itself has to be explained to the students with a purpose of educating them about innate weaknesses. Just by learning this evolutionary idea we can change our habits and start noticing people around us not just as faces but as individuals. Wong’s article does a great job explaining that lack of empathy is caused by subconsciously treating others as outsiders. By understanding this tendency, educators can focus on developing exercises that would stimulate compassion. The biggest challenge for educators would be to teach students to think outside of the “monkeysphere”. It is extremely challenging because thinking within the “monkeysphere” is essentially a tribal instinct that we, as species, have had for thousands of years and, therefore, it is hardwired into our brains. To address this, educators can focus on other instincts we have. One of such would be adaptability. Human beings are very adaptive; if it rains we get an umbrella, if we get sick we take pills. In the same manner we can teach ourselves to identify a personal “monkeysphere” as weakness and adapt to it by practicing empathy. Another useful thing to do would be to focus on teaching about the world and not the state. Understanding cultural identities and values can stimulate empathy. Example of great display of empathy happened after the terrifying earthquake happened in Haiti. People from all over the world tried to help which is truly inspiring. Finally, I believe smiling more often can also help. If you are walking down the street and smile to a stranger you will get a smile back. This instantaneous connection stimulates empathy and makes us and others feel better. Also, you never know, maybe that one smile from a stranger is just that little something a person needs to get through the day.
10. 23) Countries such as El Salvador has begun developing curriculum that teaches students not only to understand but also to adapt to climate change (and thus to adverse weather, changing agriculture conditions, etc.). See Climate Change Enters the Curriculum in Salvadoran Schools Describe three ways that curriculum could advance the climate adaptation skills of middle school students (in a setting of your choice). What skills do they need? How can they be cultivated? Conclude with a brief note on whether the EcoEd Research Group's list of literacy goals addresses the skills you have identified.
To have a successful environmental education program many areas of knowledge and disciplines have to be addressed. Sustainability is very complex because just knowing that there is a problem isn’t enough. One has to also know how to communicate a specific message to the masses. This is why, I think, communication has to be one of the core subjects for such programs. Another important factor is the ability to understand different scientific disciplines and medical specializations. It is important to know that both of these areas are ever evolving. If students know this they will be ready for a potential change and will see an alternative way of doing things. Although technical sciences are far from straightforward it should be fairly sufficient to know the basics to be able to communicate on the higher level.
Another crucial aspect is the understanding of multileveled government system. Knowing how the separate agencies work in one system can yield effectiveness of implemented actions.
These skills can be and should be cultivated from a young age. I believe it is a great idea from the El Salvador government to introduce the climate change awareness program to both college and pre-college education. If these principles are learned early, noticing a climate change and adapting to it is a lot easier.
EcoEd Research Group identified many literacy goals. Many of them matched my expectations but there were a few I have not thought about. I liked that one of the goals included raising awareness to students about a range of environmental careers that exist. This is certainly a valuable point because knowing how you can make a career in such a diverse and complex field is important. Another one included internet literacy which I totally agree with. Knowing how to navigate and get to where you want in the chaotic web is certainly beneficial.
1. 1) Identify ways that corporations are a sustainability problem, referencing at least four examples from films you watched this semester.
One the main issues with corporations is, as it was stated in “The Corporation”, “it [a corporation] is an artificial moral structure”. They are treated as people by the law yet they don’t have a moral consciousness and only cares about making money. The film called does a great job taking that fact and then creating a strong case around it by evaluating the personality of a corporation since it was said to be a “person”. At the end, an FBI agent makes the verdict that a corporation is, in fact, a psychopath based on evaluated personal traits. If you have a psychopath with a capital often exceeding GDPs of certain countries it, most often, turns into a sustainability problem. Just by looking at recent events such as BP oil spill in The Gulf of Mexico we can see how harmful it can be to the environment. More than 200 million gallons of oil were pumped into The Gulf of Mexico which killed over 8,000 animals (birds, turtles, mammals) in just six months including many that were already on the endangered species list.
Many of the corporations cause direct human harm. Monsanto is known for producing synthetic chemicals that cause birth defects and producing cancer. Over 5,000 birth defects were detected in Vietnam due to Monsanto’s “agent orange”. Today, we have every living system on Earth in decline because of terrifying things that corporations do.
Corporations are also a sustainability problem because of how they affect the freedom of speech. In 1998, Fox News Channel fired two reporters because of their investigative report on truth about Monsanto’s milk. The channel administration did not want the news to go on air because Monsanto was paying for a big portion of all commercials which brought a lot of money to the channel.
Another dysfunctional behavior was demonstrated by IBM during World War II. Despite millions of people being killed, IBM worked with Nazi Germany and provided equipment for counting Jewish prisoners. Such behavior shows that corporations will do anything to make profit even if it means starting or supporting a war.
2. 4) Describe how the advertising industry a sustainability problem. Discuss the environmental implications of “communication for commerce,” the effort to create emotional connections between consumers, commodities and companies, and the cultivation of “loyalty beyond reason” (The Persuaders). Also discuss whether sustainability advocates should borrow techniques from the adverting industry to advance their message.
Advertising industry has grown and evolved into a power that helps corporations achieve a certain image for a paycheck. This contributed heavily into America becoming a consumerist society. From an early age, people are being fed with tons of advertisements that create a need to buy absolutely unnecessary things. This creates a wasteful environment where companies make cheap things that get quickly get thrown away upon being purchased; ultimately, adding more pollution to the environment.
The advertising industry now employs people with diverse educational backgrounds, from sales agents to professional psychologist. All of them work on finding out what the consumer really wants and then tailoring their advertisements specifically to those needs. At the end, the product they are selling doesn’t even matter. This type of marketing is so powerful that it literally creates communities around brands like in the case with Saturn cars. From various psychological researches, it is known that humans have a need to belong to a community which was knowingly exploited by Saturn and many other companies. This is a direct example of how “loyalty beyond reason” is created by advertising companies.
Today, many marketing companies engage in pseudo-spiritual marketing to gain consumer trust. Making a brand that is recognizable and is associated with a certain feeling or environment is the ultimate goal. Some companies even go as far as creating a face like in the situation with McDonald’s or even an entire city like Disneyland. Once the loyalty is created, the company is guaranteed to make profit on whichever product they are selling because the consumer will not look at their competitors.
These amazingly strong marketing techniques can certainly be used by environmentalists because it will create a sense of community. With that, people can focus on common goals and be so much stronger. When common beliefs are voiced together the message is a lot stronger and much more influential. Also, with having a strong community support environmental movements will be much more noticeable in the political environment. This can lead to many environmental protection laws being passed.
3. 6) Identify key characteristics of the best environmental media (recognizing that few films or other media are likely to have more than a few of these characteristics). Reference examples from films we’ve seen this semester.
There are certainly many key characteristi
cs that go into a good environmental documentary. Many of the films we watched in class had those and, therefore, were very effective. One of the main characteristics that any environmental documentary should have is emotional appeal. It inspires people to do something with the takeaway message. The film that did very well in this aspect was “Fresh”. It was very uplifting because it showed that a single individual can make a change. Thinking that you can’t fix anything is a common reason many people, including me, oftentimes remain skeptical. When there are so many negative things around you it is very easy to get depressed and fall into a state where you feel there is nothing you can do. “Fresh” showed that every single person can make a change just by changing personal habits. There were also clear suggestions for a course of action which was yet another great characteristic. On the opposite end of the spectrum in this aspect is “The Blind Spot”. This film was a lot more negative and did not have a clear takeaway message. It was basically saying everything is bad, we are all doomed and don’t bother trying to make anything better.
Another key characteristic that many people pay attention to is the amount of factual data and qualification of speakers. Since arguments in environmental documentaries are often made through a series of interviews it is important to have people with certain level of credibility. Many films do bring experts into their films. For example “Do the Math” was featured by Bill McKibben who is well known and well respected environmentalist. He presented a lot of data and since he is certainly an expert it was easy to trust the numbers. The last thing you want in the documentary is a biased opinion from a randomly interviewed person with lack of understanding of the problem at hand.
4. 7) In a 2010 NY Magazine article, Jon Stewart describes his media team as "Soil enrichers. Maybe we can add a little fertilizer to the soil so that real people can come along and grow things.” What does Stewart mean, and how persuaded are you by the metaphor? The NY Magazine article is "America is a Joke"
I believe that Jon Stewart suggests that the goal of The Daily Show is to point out an existing problem by scratching the surface and not by fully diving into a detailed conversation. Part of the reason for this is that the show is not long enough to go into a full-fledged discussion. Another reason is that they actually want it to be that way. This is how they want to be perceived. They don’t attempt to be world experts on the subject matter; however, they are knowledgeable enough to set the playground for the viewers. It goes well with another unique characteristic of the show; they expect the viewers to be familiar with the satirical references they present to fully understand the humor behind each joke. This is why, in my opinion, he says “real people” which refers to knowledgeable citizens. This is considered by many to be the strongest point of The Daily Show. It does not tell its viewers “we know more than you, so follow us!” but rather it motivates them to do their own research and develop a unique opinion. I believe this approach to educate through media is more powerful than the traditional approach that Fox News practices and where viewers are being fed questionable facts.
To better understand the niche of The Daily Show we also need to look back at its history. The show’s unique approach was developed in 1999 when Stewart took over as the host. He observed how politics changed over the course of history that has seen terrorist attacks, two wars and a global economic meltdown. While this was happening, Fox News Channel also lost a lot of its audience because of how quickly internet spread through the masses. All these events turned Fox News and many other news makers from major media dictators into less influential social news media players. As this change occurred, Stewart made himself into a leading critic of the political news. Today, he is considered by many to be the most trusted man. Jon and his team avoid bias and dare to cover and ridicule big political events which make them stand out in the news world.
5. 10) Explain, from your point of view, what the US government should do to advance environmental sustainability. What should the US government not do? Together, your lists should include at least six items. Include concrete examples to illustrate your points.
I would like to see changes occur in how our government treats renewable energy and fossil fuel industries. A 180 degree shift would do just about right. While fossil fuel industry gets ridiculous tax breaks that go up to billions of dollars whereas renewable energy subsidiaries are just ridiculously small[1].
I also believe that the wars our country has been involved in throughout past few decades are foolish and unsustainable. It is hard to tell why each new president takes us back to wars despite all the promises to end them. It is hard to look at broken families that lose their children or parents to war. It doesn’t sit well with me to see trillion dollar military budget approvals and following education budget cuts.
The government should also change certain things about our pre-college education. A special focus should be on developing critical thinking. Critical thinking combines reasoning, evaluation, decision making and problem solving all of which are crucial for an educated society. John Dewey, one of many educational leaders, recognized that a curriculum aimed at building thinking skills would benefit the individual learner, the community and the entire democracy.[2] This is why I believe it is just as important, if not more important, then other curriculum requirements. It can certainly be developed through such classes like Sustainability but it has to be part of the required curriculum due to its importance.
Farming sector also needs some refinements. The fact that we are so dependent on industrial farming which is promoted by the government is wrong. Subsidies are paid to the industrial farmers by the government to supplement their income. Such subsidies are extremely controversial, both because of their complex effects and because of their political origins[3]. This makes it a lot harder to switch to natural farming. However, once it is done it brings more benefit to the community and the farmer as it was shown in “Fresh”. This why I believe the government should be supporting natural farmers instead of industrial farmers.
Another area that is still unsustainable is healthcare. I’m a strong believer that it should be free for anyone. There are many counties in Europe that have implemented public health care successfully and we can certainly learn from them.
6. 11). Describe the key message of The Age of Stupid, providing illustrative examples from the film, then evaluate its strategy and effectiveness as environmental media.
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The Age of Stupid shows potential disastrous future of the planet that we may see because of how unsustainable our energy is. The key message is that we can still collaboratively prevent the ecological disaster if we stop increasingly dangerous practices of oil companies. The film is narrated by a man from the year 2055 who looks over all the unsustainable practices of humankind leading up to ecological disaster. One of the most powerful statements made by him was, “we could have still saved ourselves but we didn’t and faced instinction”. This clearly describes how we live today. Although we see the climate changes and resulting natural disasters like hurricane Katrina we are still not making any significant changes. It basically says that we, as humans, know only how to profit from abusing the nature but not how to protect it. The reason oil is so bad is because it is, essentially, a stored energy from the sunlight and when we burn it to get energy it produces a lot of carbon dioxide which leads to the rising temperature of the planet. In addition, the amount of oil burned each year is equivalent to hundreds of years of sunlight.
The film is very effective and powerful as an environmental media. It is a different approach to making documentaries of such type. It puts things in new perspective and shows the probable future that we tend to not think about. I think it was a genius idea to present it in such fashion because of human psychology and the fact that people like to procrastinate. If there is a rally for a social cause but it doesn’t directly affect you there will be an inclination to avoid or postpone the action. It is a natural human tendency not to look at oneself as part of a bigger picture. This why this film is so great, it shows the world we inhabit in ruins which directly puts everyone into the same picture.
7. 12) Identify ten developments (in education, law, media, etc) that you think would help mobilize greater public awareness of and commitment to environmental sustainability.
First, require critical thinking class credits along with Math and English. This would advance our society to become more literate about decisions we make concerning environmental sustainability issues.
Second, require children to take Environmental Sustainability in roughly 6th grade and teach them systems thinking. This would prevent many faulty decisions we unknowingly make. Young people also have a lot of energy; why not use it for a good cause?
Third, establish laws that regulate carbon dioxide emission for fossil fuel industry. This is just a reasonable thing to do to prevent global warming. While a few people in the fossil fuel industry are keep stuffing their pockets with dirty money our entire planet is suffering.
Fourth, establish adequate laws that effectively support green energy. This could help regular citizens to start switching to more sustainable energy sources. More people would install solar panels and wind turbines for personal use if the government helped to pay the initial costs. This could be done by providing an interest free credit or by some other means.
Fifth, I think environmental activists should learn some of the professional marketing techniques to help further promote sustainability and establish a stronger community. We saw in “The Persuaders” how effective it can be and if a community can be created around a brand why not created a community around an idea.
Sixth, provide a better support to farmers that prefer natural farming over industrial farming. Based on films such as “Fresh” we know that it is better to have a natural environment for animals on the farm.
Seventh, increase corporate taxation to stop the gap between rich and poor from increasing. By doing so, the government will have more money to spend on social causes and provide more to everyone. Although it may sound like a strictly socialist idea but I strongly believe that better quality of life should be affordable to anyone.
Eighth, the department of transportation should start supporting electric cars and not opposing them. As it stands today, we have states like Texas that completely banned the sale of Tesla cars.
Ninth, scientific projects focused on sustainable projects should be better funded by the government. Currently, many PhD students choose to focus on commercial aspects of engineering because they know it will guarantee them a stable job in the field upon graduation. With lack of certainty in the future of green projects not that many people risk pursuing a career of “green” scientist.
Tenth, create a social network like Facebook for environmental education that would help unify people. This would also be very beneficial because of how chaotic internet is.
8. 15) Assess how each of these videos about problems with our food system would likely impact viewers. What message is delivered by each film? What does each accomplish, and not? Which audiences would be most responsive?
Transport: Food Miles
http://video.pbs.org/video/1362891727/
The message delivered by the film is fairly straightforward. Our food travels great distances before getting to the kitchen. This is caused by the highly inefficient agriculture system we have in place. The film suggests that we should start buying locally grown produce because it is fresher, tastier and more nutritious. Not only that, but it also has a significantly smaller carbon footprint. It is recommended by the film that we get off the western diet and start supporting local farmers. This is also a great way to become a lot healthier. In addition, to become more sustainable we need to establish local self-reliance and stop buying food that is delivered to us from the opposite end of the globe. This film is basically targeting everyday consumers that are used to buying everything in the supermarket and the main goal here is change it.
The Pig Picture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukdZWNvDMs
This film exposes the barbaric practices of industrial pig farms. It starts by showing how pigs live on natural farms in which they look much healthier and happier. Factory raised pigs, on the other hand, suffer from various health conditions due to the way they are being treated. Most of them suffer from respiratory diseases because of lack of fresh air. They also suffer from a mental condition described as learned helplessness because of how small their cells are. The film then switches to describe the negative impact that industrial farms bring to surrounding communities. Due to lack of regulation and poor management liquefied feces from those farms are most commonly disposed into local rivers. This causes various health issues because of how much bacteria that waste has. This film is made for consumers that choose to shop in big supermarkets that get their meats from such industrial farms. I think after watching this short film many people will not be able to eat pork for a long time. The key message is not to support such industrial practices.
The Meatrix
http://www.themeatrix.com/
This film is very similar to “The Pig Picture” but it avoids showing disturbing images of the real industrial hog farm. That said, I think it’s more suited for people that may not be able to handle graphical images from the previous film. This is also a very good educational film because it can be shown in any classroom without a special permission.
9. 22) David Wong, writing in cracked.com, argues that the "monkeysphere" determines the limits of human empathy. While Wong doesn't address sustainability directly, it is easy to imagine the implications. David Orr's call to recognize how our actions implicate the life chances of future generations isn't very practical in the monkeysphere, for example. How can educators respond? What specific strategies could be used to educate beyond the monkeysphere? See http://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html (profanity warning!!) Also see: http://www.thersa.org/events/rsaanimate/animate/rsa-animate-the-empathic-civilisation
Idea of the “monkeysphere” is hard to deny completely but it has its limitations. Developing a mature empathy can certainly be something educators can do as it was discussed in “The Empathic Civilization”. Also, idea of the “monkeysphere” itself has to be explained to the students with a purpose of educating them about innate weaknesses. Just by learning this evolutionary idea we can change our habits and start noticing people around us not just as faces but as individuals. Wong’s article does a great job explaining that lack of empathy is caused by subconsciously treating others as outsiders. By understanding this tendency, educators can focus on developing exercises that would stimulate compassion.
The biggest challenge for educators would be to teach students to think outside of the “monkeysphere”. It is extremely challenging because thinking within the “monkeysphere” is essentially a tribal instinct that we, as species, have had for thousands of years and, therefore, it is hardwired into our brains. To address this, educators can focus on other instincts we have. One of such would be adaptability. Human beings are very adaptive; if it rains we get an umbrella, if we get sick we take pills. In the same manner we can teach ourselves to identify a personal “monkeysphere” as weakness and adapt to it by practicing empathy.
Another useful thing to do would be to focus on teaching about the world and not the state. Understanding cultural identities and values can stimulate empathy. Example of great display of empathy happened after the terrifying earthquake happened in Haiti. People from all over the world tried to help which is truly inspiring.
Finally, I believe smiling more often can also help. If you are walking down the street and smile to a stranger you will get a smile back. This instantaneous connection stimulates empathy and makes us and others feel better. Also, you never know, maybe that one smile from a stranger is just that little something a person needs to get through the day.
10. 23) Countries such as El Salvador has begun developing curriculum that teaches students not only to understand but also to adapt to climate change (and thus to adverse weather, changing agriculture conditions, etc.). See Climate Change Enters the Curriculum in Salvadoran Schools Describe three ways that curriculum could advance the climate adaptation skills of middle school students (in a setting of your choice). What skills do they need? How can they be cultivated? Conclude with a brief note on whether the EcoEd Research Group's list of literacy goals addresses the skills you have identified.
To have a successful environmental education program many areas of knowledge and disciplines have to be addressed. Sustainability is very complex because just knowing that there is a problem isn’t enough. One has to also know how to communicate a specific message to the masses. This is why, I think, communication has to be one of the core subjects for such programs. Another important factor is the ability to understand different scientific disciplines and medical specializations. It is important to know that both of these areas are ever evolving. If students know this they will be ready for a potential change and will see an alternative way of doing things. Although technical sciences are far from straightforward it should be fairly sufficient to know the basics to be able to communicate on the higher level.
Another crucial aspect is the understanding of multileveled government system. Knowing how the separate agencies work in one system can yield effectiveness of implemented actions.
These skills can be and should be cultivated from a young age. I believe it is a great idea from the El Salvador government to introduce the climate change awareness program to both college and pre-college education. If these principles are learned early, noticing a climate change and adapting to it is a lot easier.
EcoEd Research Group identified many literacy goals. Many of them matched my expectations but there were a few I have not thought about. I liked that one of the goals included raising awareness to students about a range of environmental careers that exist. This is certainly a valuable point because knowing how you can make a career in such a diverse and complex field is important. Another one included internet literacy which I totally agree with. Knowing how to navigate and get to where you want in the chaotic web is certainly beneficial.
[1] Cart, Julie. “Bailout’s Tax Breaks Aid ‘Dirty Fuels.’” Los Angeles Times, October 4, 2008. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/04/business/fi-energy4.
[2] “Critical Thinking.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, May 11, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Critical_thinking&oldid=606444997.
[3] “Agricultural Subsidy.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//, May 11, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agricultural_subsidy&oldid=607171584.